We've all heard the expression “my door is always open.” Is it really?
And what does that look like for those who work remotely?
Working out of sight can lead to negative assumptions about you not being available, approachable or helpful.
Use technology to make it feel like you’re connected and set a collaborative tone.
Ideas:
- Send a quick text or ping when you ‘arrive’ in the morning: “Hi, I’m here if you need me.”
- Send a check-in ping: “Good morning, how’d that big deal phone call go yesterday? I’m here if you’d like to chat about it.”
- Share your schedule with the team: “As you can see on the shared calendar, I’m in meetings most of the day but have a spot open at 1 pm if anyone needs me."
- Let them know when you are free to chat: “I’m taking a short coffee break at 10:30, does anyone want to jump on a call and talk about This is Us?”
BTW: the picture below is a sample of Ann and Karen communicating remotely. Bees = at work, Koalas mean we're done for the day. And Thumbs up? Well, you get it.
What do you do to build rapport and keep your door open even when you’re remote?
